Self-study
i wanted to see if anybody had advice about overcoming test anxiety, especially for the lsat.
i'm feeling really defeated about taking it again because before my first official test, i was consistently PTing in the mid-160s. then on test day i ended up scoring about 10 points lower than my practice tests, and it completely shook my confidence and still is.
i'm planning to retake in september, but i can't seem to get past the fear of it happening again. if you've experienced a big score drop from your PT average or struggled with test anxiety, what actually helped you? whether it was a mindset shift, changes to your prep, or strategies for test day, i'd really appreciate any advice.
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I am in a similar situation where I scored significantly below my PT scores on the real test. It definitely did shake my confidence, but after talking to others I have found that this is actually very common especially on the first attempt. Remind yourself that you have an advantage on your next attempt that you did not have before: you now know exactly what it is like to take the real thing. It has definitely helped me a lot to switch my mindset from "I've been studying for months and couldn't execute on the real thing so all of that was for nothing" to "I have performed at a certain level before, but what was missing was knowing exactly what to expect on test day, which is something that I have now." I've learned that the majority of people take this test more than once and a lot of the time it is due to this exact situation. You know what you are capable of, you know you can score at a certain level, and now you have all the tools you need to go in there and kill it.
As for changes to prep strategies, after the June LSAT I changed my approach to studying significantly and found it to be extremely beneficial and it has definitely increased my confidence going into my August retake. The core of my new approach is cutting down on VOLUME of material and focusing heavily on review, as well as changing my review strategy. My new review strategy has helped me tremendously with understanding the actual mechanics behind all types of questions and has given me a TON more confidence in every aspect of the test. I have also changed my approach to RC and found that this change has helped me a ton too. Please feel free to message me for a more in depth explanation (as well as anyone else who may be going through the same thing or who just want to hear about some new methods, I would love to share the things I have learned that have helped me with people who share this same frustrating experience).
I'm going to tell you the same thing I had to tell myself so many times: do not let this test kill your confidence. You got this.
Hi!
I completely get what you are feeling. Personally, I recommend meditation, reading, and relaxing before the test. Prepare your mind and make sure you feel at ease before the test as this will help you!
@ChloeArmstrong The reason why I say this, as it is good to slightly review to keep the questions in your mind, though too much prep days before may sabotage your results due to stress and test anxiety.
Hello!
To share my own experience; I took my first exam when I was scoring in the high 160s on my PTs, but I ended up getting a low 160. Honestly speaking, I did even worse on my second exam. Naturally, I lost my confidence and really doubted if I could do this.
I sat down and recalled my test experience. I remembered how fatigued I felt in the middle of my second exam. During my third section, I lost focus and thought, 'Shoot, it's over.' I lost my motivation and basically gave up. After reflecting on that, I decided to train specifically for endurance, because I realized that was a huge problem for me. I started doing PTs under strict, realistic test settings: 2 sections in a row, a 10-minute break, and then 2 sections in a row. As I practiced this more and more, I could feel my ability to remain focused all the way through the last section improving.
Another big problem for me was reacting emotionally to completed sections. I decided I could not let my past performance ruin my future performance. After a section that went wildly wrong, instead of thinking, 'Wow, I must have lost 15 points there; I'm doomed, I have no hope,' I forced myself to think, 'Okay, I probably did terribly on my first section, but that means I just have to do really well on my remaining sections. Let's go, I'm going to put in my best effort.' That was an important mindset shift I had to actively train.
In short, it may help to really analyze exactly how your exam went and what you physically and mentally experienced while sitting there. Since this was just your first exam, look at it as your first real opportunity to experience what the actual test environment is like. Use that privilege to improve for next time!
I never perfectly overcame the LSAT fear, but I kept pushing forward through practicing and studying. That was how I regained my confidence. You can absolutely do the same!
I hope this helps, and best of luck!
I can't comment on the big score drop on the official LSAT as I haven't experienced this yet (knock on wood), but how is your mindset when you're doing practice questions/drills? When I began studying, I used to spend so much time on questions just simply overanalyzing them, because I was so scared of getting them wrong and couldn't move on until I felt super confident in my answer. I ended up running out of time on sections because I was too afraid of moving on from a question if I felt there was a chance it was incorrect. I've since adjusted my attitude to try to think of any wrong answer as a learning opportunity. If I get it right, it's a win. If I get it wrong, it's also a win because I get to see a weak spot, learn from it, and hopefully then get it right the next time. Maybe approaching your practice like this will help with mindset on the day of the actual test?